I need to charge them for this

Great Lakes. They changed it just enough to where Carl and Brick can't sue.

He's 20 years old, he's originally from New York, and he was the center of attention at Sunday's Great Lakes Loons' home opener at Dow Diamond.

No, he's not a Loons' player. He's Rall E. Camel, a 1,800-pound camel from the small town of Clinton, south of Ann Arbor -- and since last summer, he's been the team's designated dromedary cheerleader.

And even though it was the Loons' opponent, the Lansing Lugnuts, that rallied for a 10-8 win in Sunday's game, Rall E. was definitely a crowd-pleaser. After being introduced on the field before the game, he posed patiently for pictures throughout the three-hour game from a fenced-in area near Lou E.'s Lookout.

Kids and parents stopped to pet Rall E., who was decked in a green Loons' cap.

"He's probably one of the best animals I've ever worked with in public," said Rall E.'s owner, Kirk Elya of Whispering Pines Petting Zoo in Clinton. "He's very well adjusted for this kind of work."

Whereas Brick is not...but he has the right attitude for the work that he does.

This is neat

Elmore "Moe" Hill got his professional start in baseball as a member of the Baltimore Orioles farm system. His first stop on the ladder was with the Foxes in 1965.

He wound up in the Twins organization and - for some reason - he spent seven seasons (1972-1978) in the Midwest League as a player for the Wisconsin Rapids Twins.

The new Northwoods League team in Wisconsin Rapids, the Rafters, will be retiring Hills number in a ceremony at Witter Field this year.

The greatest player in the history of both the Midwest League and the Wisconsin Rapids Twins is coming back to Witter Field. He will have his number 24 retired and be available to re-connect with fans at the second ever Rafters home game on Monday, June 7 at 7:05 pm vs. the Eau Claire Express.

It is likely a Midwest League star will never shine so bright, or so long, as Moe Hill did during his stay in Wisconsin Rapids from 1971 to 1978. He hit 194 homeruns during that span, won the Midwest League Triple Crown in 1974, hit 41 homeruns during the 1977 campaign and during it all created a legend known throughout both Wisconsin Rapids and the entire baseball world. He led the League in homeruns each year from 1974 thru 1977.

The invaluable Midwest League Guide has a bit more on Hill's career and his home runs...sorry. cheap shot

Other teams' rosters (MWL)

Here are links to the rosters and releases for the other teams in the Midwest League. I'm leaving one out until the next post and one out for later.

Beloit: Roster | Release

Burlington: Roster | Release

Cedar Rapids: Roster | Release

Dayton: Roster (blank so far)| Release

Fort Wayne: Roster (no link yet) | Release

Great Lakes: Roster | Release

Kane County: Roster | Release (no links yet)

Lansing: Roster | Release (no links yet)

Peoria: Roster | Release

Quad Cities: Roster | Release

South Bend: Roster | Release

West Michigan: Roster | Release

Four Feet

What's four feet between friends? That would depend, I guess. What's four feet between a Board of Zoning Appeals and a potential baseball franchise? Quite a bit, actually.

The Waukesha city Board of Zoning Appeals is refusing to grant a zoning variance to a developer who wants to build a baseball stadium in Waukesha's Frame Park to host the first Northwoods League amateur team in the Milwaukee market.

The developer, Chad Bauer, wanted to erect a grandstand building that would be four feet taller than permitted.

Bauer now must scramble to come up with new plans for a shorter building before he goes to the Plan Commission on Wednesday night to get final approval of his project. He has preliminary approval, but final approval was dependent on getting the height variance.

There has been a bit of resistance to the as yet unnamed franchise that would like to start up in June. Now, that information at the middle link is a bit unfair. I mean, have you ever been to Brainerd? But, for some background on the "four feet" thing click on that third link. It goes to a story way back in August.

A new baseball stadium for the only amateur Northwoods League baseball franchise in this part of the state would not alter the picturesque views in Frame Park, a jewel on the Fox River, two key officials who will scrutinize construction plans said.

Opponents say they find that assessment hard to believe because the project would have a tall structure for concessions, ticketing and a press box, a party deck near an outfield foul line, and a children’s area with inflated amusement structures.

The fight for Common Council approval was tough for proponents who wanted the Northwoods League to use the aging Frame Park baseball diamond as its home field, and the next base to cross for the proposal is city Plan Commission approval of the stadium specifics.

“I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how nice it will be,” Mayor Larry Nelson said. “It will not intrude on the formal gardens or any of the hiking or biking paths.”

But, there is a little thing called history.

Opponents of the Frame Park proposal say a large fan base and permanent stadium would harm a park nurtured to be a tranquil space within an industrial and hectic city.

Activists formed Friends of Frame Park to organize opposition to the stadium plan. Opponents include two great-great-granddaughters of Andrew Frame, the park’s namesake who donated land to the city in 1928.

Despite those concerns, the Common Council this month approved the concept of allowing the team into Frame Park, in part, because Bauer pledged to direct at least $1.2 million in cash and resources into field and structure improvements.

Bauer is co-owner of the Green Bay Bullfrogs.

The real reason

Episode two of the Fresno Grizzlies i hate the offseason was skipped because well, it wasn't very good. Episode number three is something that Cub fans looking for a reason may latch onto.....



Rarely can you go wrong with the theme from The Courtship of Eddie's Father.